Steny Hoyer: Democrats to back Syria measure

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer anticipates Democrats will back an expected amendment to the defense appropriations bill that would call on President Barack Obama to consult with Congress in deciding how to arm Syrian rebels.

“This is an amendment that probably won’t cause us great problems,” the Maryland lawmaker told reporters Tuesday morning.

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Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.) has authored an amendment that seeks to involve Congress in the decision-making process. Currently, the administration is negotiating about funding for Syrian rebels.

“Nobody wants to notify [Syrian President Bashar] Assad or other enemies that may be involved on the other side of what we’re doing,” Hoyer said. “Frankly, I think we’re doing a significant amount already and have been for some time.”

He also cautioned that any decision should be made with care.

“There is a definite risk that whatever result would occur is that some very bad people would take very great advantage of whatever outcome occurs,” he said. “There are some very bad people involved in the efforts to unseat Assad.”